Right from the Start
Read Right from the Start Online
Authors: Jeanie London
He put her theories to the test!
Emotional Control.
That’s divorce
counselor Kenzie James’s motto and one of the rules she’s built her professional
reputation on. But her own control is challenged when the gorgeous Will Russell
offers her a business deal too good to be true.
From the moment they shake hands, Kenzie’s ordered world is
thrown into chaos with the wild feelings he creates in her. And the attraction
only intensifies when she witnesses Will’s fierce love for his autistic son. How
can Kenzie not admire that quality in Will? And how can she resist him? One
thing is for sure, he’s definitely showing her that nothing is black-and-white
when it comes to love.
Will flashed those dimples again.
Kenzie’s breath did a little fluttery thing in her
throat.
She took a swallow of hot coffee that seared away all
remnants of that fluttery feeling. But it didn’t incinerate the sudden memory of
the conversation she’d had in class only a few nights ago.
Lust at first sight?
Oh, please...it didn’t exist. Well, okay.
Maybe.
Which came at her sideways.
She watched Will return the floor plans to the folder,
shuffle through the papers with those long fingers as if checking to make
certain everything was there.
Then he slid the folder toward her. “This is yours.
Everything you need to know about Family Foundations, the lease and the proposed
floor plans. And a lot of contact information in case you think of more
questions. My cell number is in here, so you can call me anytime.”
And she so wanted to call him...but not for business.
Dear Reader,
I had the honor of visiting St. Gerard House, “A Sanctuary
for Families Facing Autism.” To say I was touched by the engaging charm of the
students doesn’t come close. To say I was humbled by the dedication of the folks
who work and volunteer there would be another understatement. The atmosphere of
love and hope filling every corner of this special place is what I most wanted
to share in my fictional world. While St. Gerard House provided the inspiration,
any lack of understanding in my presentation of autism is solely my
responsibility.
Unfortunately, a lack of understanding plays a big role in
the lives of those who deal with this disorder. Enter Will Russell, a dad
pulling out all the stops for his son. He meets Kenzie James, a woman with a
unique twist on family life. Their attraction draws them together, and what they
learn from each other helps them redefine happily-ever-after.
Ordinary people. Extraordinary
romance.
Harlequin Superromance is the place to explore the sort of
life issues only love can conquer. I hope you enjoy Kenzie and Will’s love
story. Visit me at
www.jeanielegendre.com
.
Peace and blessings,
Jeanie London
Right from the Start
Jeanie London
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeanie London writes romance because she believes in
happily-ever-afters. Not the “love conquers all” kind, but the “we love each
other so we can conquer anything” kind. Jeanie is the winner of many prestigious
writing awards, including multiple
RT Book Reviews
Reviewers’ Choice and National Readers’ Choice Awards. She lives in sunny
Florida with her own romance-hero husband, their beautiful daughters and a
menagerie of strays.
Books by Jeanie London
HARLEQUIN SUPERROMANCE
1616—FRANKIE’S BACK IN TOWN
1635—HER
HUSBAND’S PARTNER
1699—THEN THERE WERE THREE
1716—THE HUSBAND
LESSON
1739—NO GROOM LIKE HIM
1819—THE TIME OF HER LIFE
HARLEQUIN BLAZE
153—HOT SHEETS*
157—RUN FOR
COVERS*
161—PILLOW CHASE*
181—UNDER HIS SKIN
213—RED LETTER
NIGHTS
“Signed, Sealed, Seduced”
231—GOING ALL OUT
248—INTO
TEMPTATION
271—IF YOU COULD READ MY MIND…
*Falling Inn Bed…
HARLEQUIN SIGNATURE SELECT SPOTLIGHT
IN THE COLD
Other titles by this author available in ebook format.
To the folks at St. Gerard House in Hendersonville, North
Carolina—kids, families, administrators, faculty, professionals, staff,
volunteers, benefactors, community partners and all who contribute to this
ministry in any way.
You inspire with your courage, your breathtaking faith and your
generosity of spirit.
May God bless you all.
CHAPTER ONE
“I’
M
GUESSING
YOU
don’t believe in love at first sight?” the student asked.
Not much of a guess from where Kenzie James stood, which was at
the front of the classroom. The room was filled to maximum capacity with
students of both genders. They ranged in ages from barely-legal-to-drink to
middle-aged. They represented demographics from the young woman with facial
piercings who had asked the question to an army officer wearing a knife-creased
uniform.
Kenzie’s classrooms were always full—a bittersweet commentary
on the state of marital affairs. As a rule she didn’t share her opinions during
divorcing parent classes, but occasionally a group would actually be interested
in participating rather than simply marking time in the court-ordered class.
Participators could motivate others, so Kenzie seized the
teaching moment.
“No, I’m not a believer in love at first sight,” she admitted.
“In my opinion a love that will weather life’s storms involves a lot of
things—respect, caring, commitment, self-sacrifice to mention a few—none of
which are spontaneous.”
“Fair enough,” the pierced young woman said genially. “What
about lust at first sight?”
There was a titter of movement from the back of the classroom,
where several obviously bored men showed life signs. An impatient woman wearing
a business suit narrowed her gaze disapprovingly at the shocker question, or the
appearance of the girl who’d asked. Maybe both.
The army officer’s expression didn’t flinch. Clearly the man
was well trained in controlling his responses. Not a bad thing in Kenzie’s
opinion.
And questions meant to shock were all part of her job, so she
leaned a hip against the table where her handouts were stacked and said, “Lust
at first sight is another beast entirely. Chemistry is a natural, physical
response. The only problem with lust is how often people confuse it with love.
Because they both begin with the letter
L
, do you
think?”
That got a laugh from around the room. Even the officer
grinned. Not the impatient businesswoman.
But Kenzie had the class’s attention. “Lust can certainly be a
part of successful love, but the feelings are in no way interchangeable. Human
emotion operates on impulse and instinct, at the maturity level of a
seven-year-old. I call it the inner child. We all have one.”
Stepping to the whiteboard, she grabbed a dry-erase marker and
drew circles. “Think about your children. Those of you who have teens will know
what I’m talking about. Those of you with babies who haven’t yet hit the toddler
phase get ready.”
She turned to the class. “Think about when your children want
something. They want to watch TV now, not later. They want to go out and play
now, not later. And what happens when you tell them no?”
A woman with a ponytail raised her hand. “My son is three. I
can get anything from tears to a full-blown tantrum.”
“My daughter is thirteen,” the impatient businesswoman added.
“I get a nasty look and an attitude.”
“Exactly.” Kenzie spread her hands in entreaty. “The responses
vary with the age group, but basically all children want immediate
gratification. When they’re denied, they can respond with tears or tantrums or
any emotion in between. As they get older and more socially aware, they can
manipulate. It’s common for children in divorce situations to play one parent
against the other.”
Kenzie used the marker to point at the largest circle on the
board then wrote two words inside it. “
Inner child.
The feelings and reactions you see in your children never go away. All of our
inner children want immediate gratification. They want to pitch a fit when
they’re told no. They’re willing to move heaven and earth to get their way.”
She pointed to the next smallest circle. “There’s absolutely
nothing wrong with our inner children. We should acknowledge how we feel and
embrace our feelings. They’re what make us human. But the difference between
children and adults is that adults learn how to channel those feelings
constructively.”
Kenzie wrote
adult
in that circle.
“Self-control is the key here. Adults learn to step back and make sense of a
feeling before taking action.”
A simple concept that managed to be so complicated.
Kenzie didn’t share that opinion with the class, but after
eight years as a divorce mediator with the state of North Carolina and now owner
of her own agency, Positive Partings, she knew how underutilized emotional
coping skills could be.
“Adults understand consequences. There are plenty of mornings I
wake up and don’t feel like coming to work,” she said. “I make a choice. Do I
want to risk losing my job so I can stay in bed,
or
not?
Do I want to sacrifice my reliable reputation so I can roll over
and go back to sleep,
or not?
”
Kenzie wrote the word
parent
in the
smallest, farthest circle on the board. “Parents take their choices one step
further. Not only must they think about the consequences to themselves, but they
have to think about what’s in the best interest of their children. That’s why
you’re here tonight and why the court appoints these classes.”
Setting down the marker, Kenzie faced the room. Every eye was
on her now.
“Bottom line, people, you’re divorcing your spouses, not your
children. Just because you won’t be married to your husband or wife anymore
doesn’t mean you’ll stop parenting together. You’re still a family. You’ll
always
be a family. Life goes on. There’ll be
decisions to make about schooling and a thousand other things. There’ll be
birthdays and graduations and holidays and weddings and births and on and on as
long as you live.”
If people realized this fact from the start, they might see how
much simpler life would be if they resolved problems together rather than
divorcing and dragging the same problems into another relationship.
“The goal of these classes is learning to navigate divorce in a
healthy way so you and your family don’t suffer. That starts by understanding
our inner children and assuming control in ways that help us to be productive
adults and effective parents. Most kids don’t want their parents to divorce.
They’re scared and don’t know how to articulate their fears. They need the
adults in their lives to act like responsible parents who will work together to
reassure them they’re loved, they’re still part of a family and they’re not
responsible for the divorce.
“Adults who are effective parents learn to step back from
divorce drama and manage whatever feelings they have for their former spouses in
private. That’s hard to do if you’re hurt or angry or worried. But that’s what
you signed up for when you became parents.”
There was a collective pause, the classroom so silent Kenzie
could have heard a pin drop. She smiled.
“And that’s why I don’t believe in love at first sight, to get
back to the original question. Lust at first sight is the domain of our inner
children, who want passion and excitement and immediate gratification. They want
to feel good
now.
Love is the domain of adults who
recognize those shiny new feelings will eventually fade. Life’s going to have
ups and downs and joys and sorrows.
“Successful love will require people to place the needs of
their spouses and families ahead of their own desires, and unless a couple has
healthy emotional coping skills, they’ll likely have trouble succeeding at
marriage.”
Precisely why Kenzie’s classes were always full.
Reaching for her handouts, she went down the center aisle
setting small stacks on each table to be passed around.
“I want you to take a look at how quickly most of you will jump
into your next marriage and the percentage of those marriages that will fail. I
just updated with the latest statistics, so this information is current. The
fact is when families become blended, there will be more complications, not
fewer, so now’s the time to get healthy coping skills in place.”
Unless they wanted to spend another four hours sitting in this
court-appointed class.
Love at first sight?
Not
a good idea in Kenzie’s
book.
* * *
W
ILL
R
USSELL
BRACED
himself for the
meeting ahead while opening the front door of the unassuming two-story house. He
barely noticed the plaque by the door anymore.
Angel House
.
A Sanctuary for Families Facing
Autism
.
Tucked behind a church, this house had become another home to
him and his son, Sam. In many ways Angel House was more of a home than even
their own with just Will and Sam and an ex-wife who could only be a drop-by
mom.
He and Sam certainly spent enough time here between classes and
evaluations, Will’s nighttime support groups and ongoing fund-raising meetings.
The fund-raising was as important as everything else because without money, no
work would get done, no kids or families helped to make sense of the unexpected
and complicated journey that came with this disorder.
Will took another deep breath and plunked himself in a chair in
the reception room. He’d arrived nearly fifteen minutes early. All afternoon
he’d been in City Hall at a council meeting. Rather than tackling five o’clock
traffic, he’d walked the six blocks. Hadn’t taken long. He’d practically jogged
here because he was still wound up from the meeting.
Not
because he was eager to hear news he expected to be all bad.
Leaning forward, Will steeled himself to deal with even more
pressure. Was it even possible he could feel more? He suspected the answer would
be an unfortunate yes. Angel House had reached the literal end of the line. Only
a miracle could save them now, and miracles were damned slow in the making.
He’d been working on this particular miracle for two years
already—a meticulous process that involved a lot of factors coming together in
the right way at the right time. His luck had held, and now the end was finally
in sight. He needed a little more time...and didn’t hold out much hope he’d get
it. Time depended on money around here, and both were in short supply.
“You’re here already,” a harried voice said.
He glanced up as Deanne emerged through the open doorway.
“You should have rung the bell, Will. I wasn’t busy.”
He doubted that. In their entire acquaintance, he’d never known
her
not
to be busy. “Just got here. Barely sat
down.”
She glanced at his suit. “Looks like you came from City
Hall.”
“I needed some exercise.”
She smiled, and something about her smile seemed forced. Will
knew right then the luck had run out. He knew it as surely as he’d come to know
Deanne Sandler, the executive director of Angel House, a determined and
accomplished woman with a cloud of dark hair that wisped around her face,
lending to the rushed, high-energy impression of someone who never sat still. To
Will’s knowledge she didn’t. At least not often.
“Come to my office.” She led the way toward the back of the
house on quick steps.
As a hardworking mom slash administrator slash advocate for
needy kids and their families, she was dressed casually. Her neat khaki slacks
and button shirt with rolled-up sleeves were the perfect uniform for carrying
out the myriad functions that made up her days. Long hours spent in her office
with faculty and therapists. Impromptu chases after kids who could bolt like
sprinters. Presenting issues to various media sources and politicians.
Reassuring stunned parents after a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Will knew firsthand how reassuring Deanne could be because
she’d been a lifeline for him, a caring guide during the three years he and Sam
had been affiliated with Angel House. She was a mentor who had become a
much-valued friend.
At the moment, the classrooms were silent and empty in such a
striking contrast to the normal daytime activity.
“Have a seat, Will,” Deanne said as they entered her
office.
There was no missing the cracked plaster molding that hinted at
foundation instability or the discolored patches on the ceiling, water damage
from roof leaks.
As a contractor, Will noticed it all.
Sinking into a chair, he loosened the tie that suddenly choked
him. “You have the final numbers from the golf classic?”
Deanne clasped her hands on the desk, mouth pursed, gaze
leveled, an expression Will had come to recognize as her
we’ll-forge-ahead-and-figure-out-how-to-make-it-happen look. “You want the good
news or the bad news first?”
“Good news always.” At least there actually was some.
“I have a lead on an agency that sounds as if it was custom
made to fit the criteria for Family Foundations.”
“Unexpected, but very good news.”
She nodded. “And I got the numbers. Not so good.”
“How long?” Not how much. The amount they raised only
translated into how long they could remain operating.
“Enough to cover expenses until December.”
“With or without the projection from the festival?”
“With.”
“Damn.” They faced each other without speaking because there
was nothing to say. They’d hoped the revenue would cover operating expenses
until at least next April, giving Will time to put the last pieces in place on
their miracle. They could get one more school year out of this location.
No such luck. He hated how this always happened. Every quarter
they projected costs for the upcoming quarter and decided whether or not they
could keep the doors open. Then he got to go home to his son, knowing he had no
way to provide everything Sam needed. Not without Angel House.